Wikijunior:Human Body/Ears

Looked from the outside, our ears have a roughly oval shape. Several crest like structures, elevations and creases make the surface of the ear look crumpled. In the middle, the auditory canal leads to inner structures of the ear which are the middle and inner ear. The middle ear starts with the eardrum which is connected with the inner ear by some tiny bones (the ossicles). The inner ear called cochlea is a spiral.

The outer ear collects air waves, modifies them by its surface and leads them through the auditory canal to the eardrum. Like with a trampoline, air waves bounce off the eardrum which transmits these movements to the inner ear. The inner ear can separate different pitches of sounds in air waives and gets excited at distinct part each corresponding to a distinct pitch. The inner ear then transmits this information to the brain which makes us experience sounds. The inner ear also has the capabilities to measure body movements which helps us orient with eyes closed or in the dark, and controls our balance.